Lesson Plan: Teaching Adjectives to Middle and High School Students

Julie Tagg| January 3, 2025| Think and Write for English A and B

Grade Level: Middle School and High School
Duration: 45-60 minutes
Objective: Students should be able to identify, describe, and use adjectives to enhance their writing and speech.


Materials Needed:

  • Whiteboard/blackboard and markers/chalk
  • Printed worksheets with exercises
  • A set of picture cards or objects for practice
  • Projector or screen (optional)

Lesson Outline:

1. Introduction (10 minutes)

  • Objective Sharing: Start by explaining what adjectives are and why they are important in language (to describe, add detail, and make communication more vivid).
  • Examples: Write simple sentences on the board:
    • The cat is cute.
    • The tall, black building looked magnificent against the skyline.
      Highlight the adjectives and ask students how the words improve the sentence.
  • Engagement Activity: Ask students to describe something in the classroom using one adjective Example
  • “This chair is comfortable.”
  • “The desk is huge.”.

2. Lesson Explanation (15 minutes)

  • Definition: Write a clear definition of adjectives:
    “Adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns or pronouns.”
  • Types of Adjectives: Briefly explain different types with examples:
    • Descriptive (e.g., red, beautiful, tall)
    • Quantitative (e.g., some, few, many)
    • Demonstrative (e.g., this, that, these)
    • Comparative and Superlative (e.g., taller, tallest)
  • Order of Adjectives: Share the general order (opinion, size, age, shape, color, origin, material, purpose).
    Example: a beautiful small old wooden Italian chair.

3. Practice Activities (20 minutes)

  • Activity 1: Identifying Adjectives
    Provide sentences on a worksheet. Students underline or highlight the adjectives.
    Example: The fluffy, white dog barked loudly.
  • Activity 2: Adjective Match-Up
    Use picture cards or objects. Students write 3-5 adjectives to describe each item. For example, a picture of an apple might prompt red, juicy, fresh, round, shiny.
  • Activity 3: Sentence Expansion
    Provide simple sentences and ask students to add adjectives.
    Example:
    Original: The girl ran.
    Expanded: The young, energetic girl ran quickly.

4. Group Activity (10 minutes)

  • Adjective Story Game
    Divide the class into small groups. Each group writes a short story using at least 10 adjectives.
    Example:
    Once upon a time, a brave, young knight ventured into a dark, spooky forest.
    Groups read their stories aloud, and peers identify the adjectives used.

5. Wrap-Up (5 minutes)

  • Recap the definition and importance of adjectives.
  • Quick quiz or exit ticket: Ask students to write three adjectives to describe their favorite hobby or place.
  • Encourage students to use more adjectives in their daily writing and speaking.

Homework:

  • Write a descriptive paragraph about a favorite memory, using at least 10 adjectives.
  • Read a short story or article and list all the adjectives they can find.

Assessment:

  • Participation in class discussions and activities.
  • Accuracy in identifying and using adjectives in practice exercises.
  • Homework assignment quality.

This plan combines explanation, practice, and creative application to engage students of different learning styles.

Sample Activities

Adjectives Worksheet

Name: _______________________ Date: _______________________


Part 1: Identifying Adjectives

Underline the adjectives in the following sentences.

  1. The bright sun shone over the calm ocean.
  2. She wore a beautiful, red dress to the party.
  3. The young boy carried a heavy bag of books.
  4. We enjoyed a delicious meal at the fancy restaurant.
  5. The old, wooden house stood at the end of the narrow street.

Part 2: Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the blanks with suitable adjectives.

  1. The __________ sky was full of __________ stars.
  2. I found a __________ cat near the __________ tree.
  3. We stayed in a __________ hotel during our __________ vacation.
  4. The __________ player scored the __________ goal of the match.
  5. My __________ grandmother told us a __________ story about her youth.

Part 3: Matching Adjectives to Nouns

Match the adjectives in Column A to the appropriate nouns in Column B.

Column AColumn B
1. GoldenA. Forest
2. EnormousB. Dog
3. FragrantC. Sunset
4. LoyalD. Flower
5. MysteriousE. Mountain

Part 4: Sentence Expansion

Add adjectives to the following sentences to make them more descriptive.

  1. The girl walked into the room.
  2. He bought a car.
  3. We saw a bird flying in the sky.
  4. She opened a box.
  5. They visited a house.

Answer Sheet

Part 1: Identifying Adjectives

  1. The bright sun shone over the calm ocean.
  2. She wore a beautiful, red dress to the party.
  3. The young boy carried a heavy bag of books.
  4. We enjoyed a delicious meal at the fancy restaurant.
  5. The old, wooden house stood at the end of the narrow street.

Part 2: Fill in the Blanks

  1. The clear sky was full of twinkling stars.
  2. I found a small cat near the tall tree.
  3. We stayed in a luxurious hotel during our relaxing vacation.
  4. The talented player scored the winning goal of the match.
  5. My kind grandmother told us a fascinating story about her youth.

Part 3: Matching Adjectives to Nouns

Column AColumn B
1. GoldenC. Sunset
2. EnormousE. Mountain
3. FragrantD. Flower
4. LoyalB. Dog
5. MysteriousA. Forest

Part 4: Sentence Expansion

  1. The curious, cheerful girl walked into the bright, colorful room.
  2. He bought a shiny, black car.
  3. We saw a graceful, white bird flying in the clear, blue sky.
  4. She opened a small, mysterious box.
  5. They visited a large, cozy house.

This worksheet provides a variety of exercises to reinforce the concept of adjectives in an engaging way.


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